The search for Flight 370 is concluding on an extremely tragic note. On March 24, Malaysia’s Prime Minister revealed that experts, using new satellite information, confirmed definitively that the aircraft “ended” in a remote location in the southern Indian Ocean west of Perth, Australia.

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak called a press conference on March 24 promising to reveal “new developments” in the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370. And as the heartbroken families of the 239 passengers listened intently, the prime minister announced that new analysis has concluded that the flight flew along the southern corridor, and that it was last detected in the southern Indian Ocean west of Australia. With this in mind, Razak revealed that authorities have definitively determined that the plane crashed and “ended in the southern Indian Ocean.”

Malaysian Flight Crashed In Indian Ocean: ‘All Lives Lost’

New calculations and analysis were reportedly able to confirm that Flight 370 flew along the southern corridor — the one that headed towards the Indian Ocean. This location is extremely remote, and no viable landing areas exist in the area. As a result, experts and the Malaysian government are concluding that the plane crashed in this remote part of the Indian Ocean.

Satellite images spotted debris in this area west of Australia in the past week — a “gray or green circular object” and “an orange rectangular object.” The presumption now is that this debris belongs to Flight 370. This wreckage will reportedly be retrieved in the coming hours. However so far, nothing has been definitively linked to Flight 370.

Flight 370 Crashed: Families Mourn After Sad Announcement

Families of the passengers are reportedly being told that “all lives were lost” in the plane’s crash and disappearance, according to CNN. This harsh, tragic news was met with anguish, wailing, and crying, as many of the family members sat in on the sad press conference.

Before the announcement, Malaysia Airlines shared an official statement with the families:

Malaysia Airlines deeply regrets that we have to assume that MH370 ended in the southern Indian Ocean. As you will hear in the next hour from Malaysia’s Prime Minister, new analysis of satellite data suggests the plane went down in the Southern Indian Ocean.

On behalf of all of us at Malaysia Airlines and all Malaysians, our prayers go out to all the loved ones of the 226 passengers and of our 13 friends and colleagues at this enormously painful time.

We know there are no words that we or anyone else can say which can ease your pain. We will continue to provide assistance and support to you, as we have done since MH370 first disappeared in the early hours of 8 March, while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

The ongoing multinational search operation will continue, as we seek answers to the questions which remain. Alongside the search for MH370, there is an intensive investigation, which we hope will also provide answers.

We would like to assure you that Malaysia Airlines will continue to give you our full support throughout the difficult weeks and months ahead.

Once again, we humbly offer our sincere thoughts, prayers and condolences to everyone affected by this tragedy.

This is an extremely sad and tragic conclusion to the mysterious saga of Flight 370, but what makes the news hurt even more is that, after 17 days of searching, there still isn’t any real evidence showing what happened to Flight 370, and unfortunately many of the questions surrounding the plane’s vanishing still have not been answered. And now it seems they might never be. Our thoughts and prayers go out to all of the passengers’ families during this awful time.